Of all the great Negro League teams, none boasted as many Hall of Famers and superstars as the Pittsburgh Crawfords. Founded as an African American semipro team in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in the 1920s, The Crawfords were elevated to the professional level when number’s king Gus Greenlee purchased the team in 1931. Greenlee raided the crosstown Homestead Grays of stars Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston and added Satchel Paige, Judy Johnson and Cool Papa Bell from other Negro League clubs. Now stocked with just about all the big names in Blackball, the Crawfords began dominating the completion, both Black and White. The 1934-1936 teams are generally regarded as their strongest and rank as one of baseball’s top dynasties. What we have here is a breathlessly rare Type 1 photograph of the 1934 Crawfords. A look over the lineup reveals five future Hall of Famers: Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell and Judy Johnson. Also present are 12 more Blackball legends: William Bell, Jimmie Crutchfield, Leroy Matlock, Ted Page, Leroy Morney, Bert Hunter, Bill Perkins, Harry Kincannon, Spoony Palm, Rosey Davis, Curtis Harris and Chet Williams.

This photograph was taken before the start of the October 6, 1934 game at Yankee Stadium, the rematch of what became known as “the greatest game ever played.” That game, played on September 9, saw the Crawfords facing the Philadelphia Stars at Yankee Stadium. The Crawfords-Stars matchup pitted the two best pitchers in the Negro National League, Satchel Paige and Slim Jones. The epic battle that ensued saw the two pitchers each giving up a run before matching goose eggs frame after frame until the ninth inning when the game was called because of darkness. Slim Jones had struck out 9 and gave up 3 hits, while Paige whiffed 12 and relinquished 6 hits. A rematch was called for, and on October 6, the date this photograph was taken, the two teams met again at Yankee Stadium. Jones struck out 6 and spread 5 hits over 9 innings, but Paige and the Crawfords bested the Stars, winning by a score of 3-1. Paige struck out 18 that day, gave up but 2 hits and forever sealed his reputation as the best clutch pitcher in the Negro Leagues.

This extraordinary photograph measures 7 5/8” x 9 ½ inches. At the lower left is the photographer’s credit, "Vanderzee NYC 1934,” marking this as being taken by African American photographer James VanDerZee, famed documentarian of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. The back stamping reads “G.G.G. Photo Studio 2065 7th AVE, N.Y.C.” and the players have been identified in blue pen, along with a personalized notation about pitcher Leroy Matlock. Although identified as “Sept. 1934,” this is shot was taken on October 6, 1934. The photo shows overall toning and edge wear which include some tearing and chipped corners, the most noticeable being on the upper left. None of this distracts from the player’s images or the historical significance of the team and event. Negro League photographs are impossibly rare, and to find an original Type 1 of a team as storied as the 1934 Pittsburgh Crawfords, is truly a noteworthy event in the hobby. Once part of the famed Richard Merkin Collection, this photograph comes with an LOA from PSA/DNA (1P17179) and has been designated a Type I photograph.